Privacy Policy
Effective October 5, 2026
This policy explains what information TuitionScope (tuitionscope.com) collects when you visit, how it is used, who receives it and what choices you have. It is written in plain language on purpose.
The short version
TuitionScope is a free reference site. There are no accounts, sign-up forms or comment boxes, and you never need to give us personal information to use a page or a calculator.
To pay for the site we show advertising, and to improve it we measure traffic. Those services, provided by Google and Cloudflare, may use cookies or similar technologies. The sections below explain what they do and how to control them.
- We do not sell your personal information for money.
- Anything you type into a calculator and your saved comparison list stay in your browser. They are never sent to us.
- You can change your advertising and analytics choices at any time with the Privacy choices link in the footer of every page.
Information we collect
Information you send us. If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you write. We use it only to reply and, when relevant, to fix a data error. We do not add you to any mailing list.
Information collected automatically. Like any website, our hosting provider (Cloudflare) processes technical data to deliver pages and protect the site from abuse, such as your IP address, browser type, the page you requested and the time of the request. Our analytics and advertising partners may collect additional data, as described below.
Advertising (Google AdSense)
We use Google AdSense to display ads. Google and its advertising partners may use cookies, device identifiers and similar technologies to show ads, limit how often you see them, measure their performance and, if you allow it, personalize them based on your interests and your visits to this and other websites.
We do not control these cookies and cannot read them. Ads are labeled, and advertisers have no influence over the data or editorial content on this site.
- Manage ad personalization in Google Ad Settings
- How Google uses information from sites that use its services
- Opt out of interest-based ads from participating companies (Digital Advertising Alliance)
- Opt out through the Network Advertising Initiative
Turning off personalized ads does not remove ads; the ads you see will simply be less tailored to you. Ads may not be shown on every page or at all times.
Analytics (Google Analytics 4 and Cloudflare Web Analytics)
We use Google Analytics 4 to learn which pages are useful. GA4 sets cookies (named like _ga) and receives page views and interaction events, a randomly generated identifier, approximate location at the country or region level, and device and browser information. According to Google, GA4 does not log or store individual IP addresses.
With each page view we also send four labels we define ourselves: the type of page (for example, a college profile), whether the page is meant to appear in search results, the page language and your light or dark theme. We never send names, email addresses or anything you type into a calculator.
We also use Cloudflare Web Analytics, a measurement service from our hosting provider. According to Cloudflare, it does not use cookies or local storage to measure visits and does not track individual visitors across websites. It reports aggregate page views, referrers, countries and performance metrics.
Google Analytics loads only after the page has finished loading. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, analytics cookies stay off until you consent, although Google may still receive limited signals that do not use cookies.
Consent tool and Consent Mode
We use Google Privacy & Messaging, Google's consent management tool, to ask for your choices where the law requires it. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, advertising and analytics storage are off by default until you choose. In the United States, we show the privacy messages and opt-out options required by state privacy laws where they apply.
Your choices are passed to Google services through Google Consent Mode v2, which tells them whether they may store cookies or use data for ad storage, ad user data, ad personalization and analytics. You can reopen the message at any time with the Privacy choices link in the footer.
Cookies and local storage on our site
TuitionScope itself sets no tracking cookies. We use your browser's local storage for two features. Both stay on your device and are never sent to us:
theme: your light, dark or system theme choice.compare:v1: the list of up to four colleges you add to the comparison tray.
You can clear this data at any time in your browser settings. The third-party services described above may set their own cookies.
Your U.S. state privacy rights
Residents of California and of other states with comprehensive privacy laws (for example Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Virginia) may have the right to:
We do not sell personal information for money. Some state laws define “sale”, “sharing” or “targeted advertising” broadly enough to include advertising cookies placed by third parties on a website. To opt out, use the Privacy choices link in the footer or your Google Ad Settings. Because we have no accounts, the only personal information we are likely to hold about you is an email you sent us.
To make a request, email info@tuitionscope.com. We may need to confirm your identity and will usually respond within 45 days, as these laws provide.
- know what personal information a business collects and how it is used;
- access, correct or delete personal information;
- opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and of targeted advertising;
- not be treated differently for exercising these rights, and, in some states, appeal a refusal.
Privacy choices
Use the Privacy choices link at the bottom of every page to reopen the consent message and change your advertising and analytics settings. If the consent message does not appear in your region, or has not loaded, you can still:
- block or delete cookies in your browser settings;
- turn off personalized ads in Google Ad Settings;
- opt out of Google Analytics with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Children
TuitionScope is a general-audience site for students, parents and counselors. It is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has sent us personal information, email info@tuitionscope.com and we will delete it.
Retention and security
We keep emails only as long as needed to respond and to document a data correction. Analytics and advertising data are retained by Google and Cloudflare under their own settings. The site is served over HTTPS, but no method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure.
Changes to this policy
We will update this page when our practices change and will revise the effective date at the top. If a change is material, we will say so here. The policy in force is the one published on this page.
Contact us
Questions or requests about privacy: info@tuitionscope.com. You can also read our terms of use and our methodology.